Fountain pen clip



fmgrc zz, 1932.

' T; 0; HOPKINS FOUNTAIN PEN CLIP Filed Oct. 24, 1931 Patented Mar. 22, 1932 UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE FOUNTAIN PEN CLIP Application filed October 24, 1931. Serial No. 570,924.

This invention relates to fountain pens, and more particularly to a clip for securely hglding the fountain pen in a pocket or the li 'e.

' I) An object of this invention is to provide a clip which is so constructed as to lock the fountain pen on a garment or other article, the clip including means whereby it may be readily released from the garment without injury to the garment.

Another object of this invention is to provide a clip of this kind which may be readily attached to any conventional fountain pen cap which is light in weight and which can be readily and cheaply manufactured.

The above and various other objects and advantages of this invention will in part be described in and in part be understood from the following detailed description of the present preferred embodiment, the same being illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a detail side elevation of a fountain pen having a clip constructed according to the preferred embodiment of this inven tion mounted thereon;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal section of the cap of the pen showing the device mounted thereon, the device bein%partly"in detail and partly in section;

igure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the locking member, and

Figure 4 is a detail front elevation of the device mounted on a fountain pen.

Referring to the drawings wherein like numerals of reference designate correspond ing parts throughout the several views, the numeral 10 designates generally the body of a fountain pen having a cap 11 mounted thereon. the pen 10 and the cap 11 being of conventional construction. The cap 11 may be threaded, as at '13, or otherwise secured to the body of the pen 10. In order to provide means whereby the fountain pen including the body 10 and the cap 11, may be held in a secure position in a pocket or on a garment, I have provided a clip construction, generally designated as C, which comprises an elongated body member 12 having a strap or bar 14 formed therewith, which is attached to the cap 11 by means of rivets or securing members 15. The body 12 is offset from the outer surface of the cap 11 and the lower or free end portion thereof beveled or curved, as at 16, so as to facilitate the insertion of the fold or section 17 of a garment between the body 12 and the cap 11.

In order to provide means whereby the cap 11 may be securely locked on the garment 17, I have provided a locking member, generally designated as 18, which comprises a lever 19 pivoted at 20 to the curved portion 21 of the securing strap 14. The inner end of the lever 19 has a round or substantially spherical locking member 22 pivotally mounted thereon, and this locking member 22 has serrations 23 disposed partially around the circumference thereof, the purpose for which will be hereinafter described. A stop member 24: is also formed with the locking member 22 and is adapted to engage the inner end of the rock lever 19, so as to limit the rotation of the locking member 22:

In order to constantly urge the locking member 22 into locked position, I have provided a link 25 which is rockably secured, as at 26, to the lower end of the rock lever 19' or the end oppositely from the locking mem- I ber 22. The body member 12 is provided with a longitudinally extending channel or bore 27 within which a spring or resilient member 28 is mounted, one end of the spring 28 engaging against the inner end of the bore or opening 27 and the opposite end engaging against link member 25. A releasingmember 29 which is in the form of a cup-shaped member, engages against the rock lever 19 and substantially encloses this lever together with the link or lever operating member 25.

The releasing member 29 is mounted in a slot or channel 30 provided in the body member 12. and due to the inherent resiliency of this releasing member 29. it is constantly urged inwardly into contact with the rock lever 19.

34 to the cap 11. The opposite end of the spring 33 slidably engages in a channel 35 provided in the periphery of the cap 11. The locking pin 31 and the spring 33 are positioned beneath the clip C so that when the garment 17 is positioned between the cap 11 and the clip C, the spring 33 will be compressed and the locking pin 31 forced inwardly of the cap 11. This pin 31 is positioned inwardly of the rib 36 which is provided in conventional fountain pens adjacent the penpoint and when the pin 31 is positioned, as shown in Figure 2, the cap 11 may be partially rotated but cannot be taken off of the pen 10. Through the use, therefore, of this locking means for the cap 11, the pen will not drop away from the cap 11.

In the use of this device, the garment 17 may be inserted between the clip 0 and the cap 11 and the upward movement of the garment 17 between the clip C and the cap 11 will force the locking member 18 away from the cap 11 and will rotate the locking member 22, so that only the smooth surface contacts with the fabric and with but one-tenth the usual tension of a convention spring clip, so that there is not the slightest wear on even the thinnest material. However, when an upward pull is made on the fountain pen, the locking member 22 will rotate approximately one-third of a turn which will bring the serrated portion 23 of the roller 22 into contact with the face of the material, and the stop 24 will bear against the lever 19 which is forcibly thrust against the material 17 thereby providing a self-locking or what might be termed a cant come off clip which will stay in locked engagement with the fabric 17 until the releasing member 29 is rocked inwardly so as to carry the locking member 22 away from the material 17. Coactive with the locking of the garment 17 between the clip C and the cap 11. the spring 33 will be compressed against the periphery of the cap 11, and the compression of this spring 33 will force the locking pin 31 inwardly behind the annular rib 36. so as to hold the pen 10 against longitudinal movement with respect to the cap 11.

It will be obvious, from the foregoing, that an exceedingly simple, but at the same time,

practical clip construction has been disclosed which will securely lock the fountain pen on a garment, the clip not only locking the cap of the pen on the garment, but also locking the reservoir or body of the pen on the cap. This clip construction can readily be mounted on any conventional fountain pen which includes a cap and a reservoir or pen body.

Vhile the clip herein disclosed has been shown mounted on a fountain pen cap, I do not wish to be limited to this particular use as it may be used for holding any object relatively small in cross section on a garment.

It is, of course, understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and design of the above specifically described embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is 1. A clip' of the character described comprising .an elongated member, means for at taching the member to the periphery of a round body, a locking member rockably car'- ried by said elongated member, and releasing means yieldably carried by said elongated member and overlying said locking member.

2. A clip of the character described comprising an elongated body having an outwardly curved lower end ortion, a locking member pivotally carried y the body intermediate the ends thereof, means for constant ly urging said locking member into locking position, and releasing means overlying and contacting with said locking member.

3. A clip of the character described comprising an elongated member, a locking member rockably carried by said elongated member intermediate the ends thereof, resilient means for constantly urging said locking member into locking position, and yieldable releasing means carried by said elongated member and overlying a portion of said locking member for swinging said locking member into released position.

4. A clip of the character described com prising an elongated body adapted to be secured to a fountain pen cap, a locking member rockably carried by said elongated member intermediate its ends, said'locking member being interposed between the elongated member and the periphery of the pen cap, resilient means for constantly ur ing said locking member into engagement with a fabric interposed between the elongated member and the periphery of the cap, and releasing means yieldably carried by the elongated member and overlying a portion of said locking member for swinging said locking member into released position.

5. A clip of the character described comprising the combination with a fountain pen cap, of an elongated member secured to the cap having a beveled lower end portion, a rock lever pivotally carried by the member intermediate the ends thereof, a fabric engaging member carried by one end of said lever and positionedintermediate the periphery of the cap and the inner surface of the elongated member, means for constantly urging said fabric engaging member into a position for engagement with the fabric, and releasing means for swinging said fabric engaging member away from the fabric interposed between the elongated member and the periphery of the cap.

6. A clip of the character described comprising an elongated bar, means for securing the bar to the periphery of a. fountain n cap, a rock lever rockably carried by the bin 5 intermediate the ends thereof, a fabric engaging member carried by the rock lever, a spring. carried by the bar, a link pivotally carried by the rock lever and engaging one end of said spring whereby to constantly urge said rock lever into locked position under the tension of said spring, and a, releasing member carried by the bar and engaging the rock lever.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

THOMAS DAVID HOPKINS. 

